UNFORGIVABLE Tina Wainscott St Martin's Paperbacks November 2001 ISBN# 0-312-97908-8 {Click here to buy this book} It's not often when a new writer takes off as Tina Wainscott has, but then again, this author is hardly new with seven books to her

Katie Malloy's childhood was less than stellar. As a matter of fact, it was downright miserable. With the apparent suicide of her mother, Katie is sent to live with a neighboring family who take Katie's presence as little more than a human target for abuse. The only light to guide Katie through her growing years is Ben Ferguson, the town veterinarian whom she befriended when local bad boy Gary Savino's, whose father is the local DA, act of cruelty has Katie taking her beloved pet to Ben for emergency care. Katy and Ben's daily contact cause a special bond to grow between them, so that when they finally wed it's really not surprising to the community; even with their great age difference.

But when a childhood friend, Silas Koole, returns after so many years, Katie starts to question her lifestyle. Ben obviously loves her but is it his love or obsession that Katie's allows Ben to control everything in her life, from the friends she has, or rather doesn't, to the clothes she wears, to what she eats? Silas's persistent pressure and blatant observances of Ben's controlling behavior causes Katie to start second-guessing her husband's love.

Issues come to a head when local girls come up missing, their disappearances tied to other missing girls from nearby communities and Katie is suddenly unsure whom to trust. Silas is found with extensive files on most of the missing girls; Gary Savino, now the town police deputy who has been dogging Katie's every step; and Ben's own questionable disappearances pull at least three suspects, in Katie's mind, to the forefront. Tension is pulled sharply into focus when a raging wild fire threatens the community. With Ben away at a conference, Gary's unnerving presence and Silas's involvement with the families of the missing girls, Katie finds herself being forced to fend for herself as not only the fire draws near but also since she believe that she is the next target for the kidnapper.

Who will be unforgivable? A childhood friend with ties to the crimes, a childhood bully who's job gives him a gun and license to use it, or an obsessive husband who has no qualm with leaving his wife alone with a kidnapper lurking about? You'll have to read the book to find out. No spoilers here!

"Unforgivable" is a story filled with emotions that range from shock to horror, friendship to love, hatred to pure obsession. This is the story of a woman's growth, not only from childhood years to adulthood, but also an inner growth and finding the inner strength that was long-buried and re-learning independence and trust.

Ms Wainscott brilliantly brings a truly believable tale to life with credible character, expert plotting and so many sidewinders that you may even start questioning the motives of every other character in the town. The fact is, is that the kidnapper is not revealed until almost the last chapter, which is refreshing since the baddie is almost always so evident in these types of stories.

Fans of Tina Wainscott will gain a new respect for the author's talents, and new readers of her work, but who enjoy romantic suspense, will find a new author to add to their TBR pile. This book is guaranteed to keep fans of Ms Wainscott's and romantic suspense up late at night because the story will be hard to put down. Pages have the potential to turn quickly but readers will find themselves reading a bit slower hoping to catch a hint of who the kidnapper is, the motives behind each suspect and just how Katie's newfound feelings toward Silas will affect the outcome.